To act or not to act
Intentionally choosing not to act is not the same thing as passive inaction.
I recently made a decision to forgo an important personal goal. Due to other circumstances and competing objectives, I chose to “not act” on my goal. It was disappointing, but it was the right decision. This led me to reflect on how organizations (and individuals) have a preference for action:
“We need to do it.”
“Something needs to be done.”
“We can’t just do nothing.”
𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗖𝗵𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲
However, intentionally choosing not to act is a very real form of “doing something.” The key to successful inaction is understanding the tradeoffs and the benefits of that inaction.
𝗘𝘅𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗳𝘂𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
In a small business, it may be continuing to manually cross-post on multiple social media platforms instead of investing in an automated marketing platform. Would automation be helpful and more efficient? Probably, but what if the cost of the new platform jeopardized another program or your ability to keep all of your staff?
In a personal situation, it may mean not repairing a dent on your car because you don’t want to file an insurance claim and your money is currently tied up elsewhere. Of course, you would like to fix the car, but right now, it may not be the time to act on it.
𝗠𝗮𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗲𝗱 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
Successful inaction is about understanding your options, understanding the tradeoffs, and then making an informed (intentional) decision about whether to act (or not). Wait-and-see can be a viable and reasonable choice when it is made intentionally from a well-informed perspective.
𝗔𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝘃𝘀. 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗜𝗻𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻
This is not to be confused with avoiding action because you don’t want to deal with an issue. Avoidance often leads to unintended consequences and complications, creating a worse scenario that you are not prepared to handle.
𝗘𝗺𝗽𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗳 𝗧𝗵𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵 𝗜𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗗𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀
Even in situations where you ultimately decide not to act, understanding the options and being intentional with your (in)action puts you in a much more powerful and advantageous position.